Here is your Seven-Bullet Monday
A quote I am pondering:
“No legacy is as rich as honesty” - William Shakespeare
Webster Dictionary defines honesty as “the quality of being fair, truthful and sincere”. These are honourable attributes and aspirations for all of us. There are also times that our personal truths shift for good and bad reasons. I have tried this week to honestly assess my intentions to make sure I am shifting myself to the truth rather than trying to shift the truth towards me.
A question I am asking myself:
What does excellence look like in everything I do today?
One of Tom Peters’ most well-known quotes is, “Excellence is not an aspiration; excellence is the next five minutes, or not.” On this basis, I am working on doing things excellently, whether that’s brushing my teeth, planning an event, completing a work project, exercising or just having a conversation. That’s where excellence is such a great descriptor. It’s not perfection, which is well nigh impossible. On the contrary, excellence is wholly achievable, and a lot comes down to attitude.
A book I am reading:
Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day - Amishi P Jha PhD
Amishi Jha is a world-renowned leader on focus and attention through mindfulness. In this book she teaches, from a very scientific and proven research background, the power of a few minutes of meditation daily to improve concentration and output, whether that be to help studying, working or communicating. If you, like me, struggle to focus for any length of time consistently, this could be an excellent book for you.
My favourite podcasts this week:
The John Maxwell Leadership Podcast - Making Winning a Habit
When John Maxwell speaks on leadership, it is pure distilled brilliance, and it is almost as if every sentence could be a stand-alone quote. I loved this episode, and my personal favourite was his statement that “Winners value the process of winning. Losers over valuate the outcome and under evaluate the process.”. Focusing on the process instead of the result is a great way to train for and sustain outstanding performance.
The Model Health Show #545 – How to use High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for Fat Loss
Most of us have heard how HIIT has more positive effects on fitness and weight-loss than steady aerobic exercise, like jogging. For those like me that didn’t understand why that’s the case, Shawn Stevenson does a great job on this podcast explaining how our fast and slow-twitch muscle fibres respond to exercise intensity and what this does for fat burn.
Hugh-Tips
Don’t let inflation erode your wealth
Annual inflation in Canada just hit 5%, and, like others around the world, we see the impact in everything from groceries to transport. Official inflation may in fact be understated because money supply has been growing even quicker. Inflation is the silent killer of wealth stored up in accounts with sub inflation returns. The money looks the same three to five years later; it just buys a lot less. I am not saying empty your bank accounts to go and buy meme stocks! Instead, think about what investments might do better than inflation without adding undue risk to your portfolio. These could be TIPs (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities), REITS (Real Estate Investment Trusts), value stocks (high-quality companies) in different geographies, or gold and silver.
My highlight this last week
Our driveway become a sledding run
With our bounty of snow, this last week, my son and his friends built a 40m long sledding track down the driveway, on which hours of fun were had with an inflatable sled. They perfected the run, including a small jump. I was persuaded to have a go which I duly accomplished with flair and panache, only to be brought to an abrupt halt at the end with my son’s knee in my face. Afterwards, he even had the cheek to say that I bruised his knee with my nose! And yes, if you look at the picture and want to counsel me on safety, I will wear a helmet next time!
My challenge to you for this week
Build and grow your Network
Dave Delaney once said, “Everyone should build their network before they need it.” This is excellent advice. Those that don’t have good networks miss out on many of their benefits. You should have networks that include work, sport, family, social and community. The important thing here is that you first try to connect with different people, and then it gets easier as your networks expand. Another critical element to networking is adding value wherever you can, rather than taking value. Keith Ferrazzi said, “The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity”, and this is so true. Why not make a habit of meeting new people, reconnecting with old acquaintances, adding value with each encounter, thereby keeping your networks thriving.
Have a great week